HELP NEEDED WYeast - The 'Smack Packs

[louiscowdroy]

Oh My God - I'm never buying one of those again.

I researched this, planned my brew day, everything went well; few mishaps but you know, brew days dont ever go quite according to plan.

Then; 24 hours ago....according to someone else on here i activated the smack pack (whacking it again and again). Thinkin i had accommplished this task i left it till i was ready to pitch.

Can you imagine my absolute shock when i cut open the top to find the activator pack not open and i'd started to pour in the raw Yeast....... i was like Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I must admit i panicked.

I swilled the pack out with wort, opened the activator sachet poured that in and drilled the death outta the wort with my hand drill and paddle........

Does anyone think the Yeast might still work??

Anyones Help needed......kind regards Louis )

[Wolfy]

There is no such thing as 'raw' yeast, yeast is yeast is yeast.

The internal packet contains nutrients, when it's broken the yeast consume the nutrients (and produce CO2) so they are fresh, healthy and viable when the pack is pitched (after the pack has swelled up due to CO2 production).

The yeast in the pack should still be alive, and they still should ferment your beer, however skipping the smacking-part of the process could mean that you pitched less yeast than expected and the yeast may not have been as healthy as you expected. If the pack was recently manufactured, you should have no problems at all, but if the pack was older, the underpitching and unhealthy yeast could cause problems. Due to the time it takes to have such yeast shipped from the USA, sit at your LHBS and then in your fridge before you use it - when using liquid yeasts - it's always a good idea to consider using a starter, that way you can ensure that you have somewhere close to the 'correct' number of healthy yeast cells to pitch into your beer.

[louiscowdroy]

Thanks mate,

Well i've used white labs before and never had any issue with my 19ltr batches, i suppose if your used to doin 25litrs plus you must have a starter.

I've got a whitelabs 'Irish Ale Yeast' I'm going to pitch that tonight so that i get a heathly fermentation. Just taken it straight outta the fridge.

Should i well areate it a per normal pitching even if the Wort is 24 hours old?

Cheers

Louis

[louiscowdroy]

There is no such thing as 'raw' yeast, yeast is yeast is yeast.

The internal packet contains nutrients, when it's broken the yeast consume the nutrients (and produce CO2) so they are fresh, healthy and viable when the pack is pitched (after the pack has swelled up due to CO2 production).

The yeast in the pack should still be alive, and they still should ferment your beer, however skipping the smacking-part of the process could mean that you pitched less yeast than expected and the yeast may not have been as healthy as you expected. If the pack was recently manufactured, you should have no problems at all, but if the pack was older, the underpitching and unhealthy yeast could cause problems. Due to the time it takes to have such yeast shipped from the USA, sit at your LHBS and then in your fridge before you use it - when using liquid yeasts - it's always a good idea to consider using a starter, that way you can ensure that you have somewhere close to the 'correct' number of healthy yeast cells to pitch into your beer.

Can i add yeats and re-areate the wort 24 hours in?
cheers
Louis

[seymour]

There is no such thing as 'raw' yeast, yeast is yeast is yeast.

The internal packet contains nutrients, when it's broken the yeast consume the nutrients (and produce CO2) so they are fresh, healthy and viable when the pack is pitched (after the pack has swelled up due to CO2 production).

The yeast in the pack should still be alive, and they still should ferment your beer, however skipping the smacking-part of the process could mean that you pitched less yeast than expected and the yeast may not have been as healthy as you expected. If the pack was recently manufactured, you should have no problems at all, but if the pack was older, the underpitching and unhealthy yeast could cause problems. Due to the time it takes to have such yeast shipped from the USA, sit at your LHBS and then in your fridge before you use it - when using liquid yeasts - it's always a good idea to consider using a starter, that way you can ensure that you have somewhere close to the 'correct' number of healthy yeast cells to pitch into your beer.

Can i add yeats and re-areate the wort 24 hours in?
cheers
Louis

Sure you can. Relax, it's beer. Your original yeast is busy fermenting and desperately reproducing, but your low population will have to work really hard to do both at the same time, so it will likely take longer and kick-off more esters and phenols than under ideal conditions. Don't despair though, that's exactly what some brewers go for.
If you're afraid bacteria or wild yeast will have a chance to out-compete your single-strain yeast under these stressful conditions, then you can add another packet. But you don't absolutely have to buy another smack pack, here's your chance to experiment with a dual-strain fermentation. As I've discussed in other threads, I frequently sprinkle in an additional cheap dry English ale yeast packet or two (Muntons, Coopers, Windsor, whatever you got...) just for insurance and increased cell count. You really can't go wrong, since your first choice had a head start to lock-in the flavor profile you wanted.

[louiscowdroy]

There is no such thing as 'raw' yeast, yeast is yeast is yeast.

The internal packet contains nutrients, when it's broken the yeast consume the nutrients (and produce CO2) so they are fresh, healthy and viable when the pack is pitched (after the pack has swelled up due to CO2 production).

The yeast in the pack should still be alive, and they still should ferment your beer, however skipping the smacking-part of the process could mean that you pitched less yeast than expected and the yeast may not have been as healthy as you expected. If the pack was recently manufactured, you should have no problems at all, but if the pack was older, the underpitching and unhealthy yeast could cause problems. Due to the time it takes to have such yeast shipped from the USA, sit at your LHBS and then in your fridge before you use it - when using liquid yeasts - it's always a good idea to consider using a starter, that way you can ensure that you have somewhere close to the 'correct' number of healthy yeast cells to pitch into your beer.

Can i add yeats and re-areate the wort 24 hours in?
cheers
Louis

Sure you can. Relax, it's beer. Your original yeast is busy fermenting and desperately reproducing, but your low population will have to work really hard to do both at the same time, so it will likely take longer and kick-off more esters and phenols than under ideal conditions. Don't despair though, that's exactly what some brewers go for.
If you're afraid bacteria or wild yeast will have a chance to out-compete your single-strain yeast under these stressful conditions, then you can add another packet. But you don't absolutely have to buy another smack pack, here's your chance to experiment with a dual-strain fermentation. As I've discussed in other threads, I frequently sprinkle in an additional cheap dry English ale yeast packet or two (Muntons, Coopers, Windsor, whatever you got...) just for insurance and increased cell count. You really can't go wrong, since your first choice had a head start to lock-in the flavor profile you wanted.

Hi, thanks for your reassurrance. I've added a White Labs 'Irish Ale' to it tonight and mixed it in......I'm preying that it'll start to kick in by the morning in my Temp Contolled Fridge.......keeping it about 19 - 21 degrees. Do you think thats a tad cold?

Louis ))

[seymour]

Hi, thanks for your reassurrance. I've added a White Labs 'Irish Ale' to it tonight and mixed it in......I'm preying that it'll start to kick in by the morning in my Temp Contolled Fridge.......keeping it about 19 - 21 degrees. Do you think thats a tad cold?
Louis ))

Nah, stick to your guns. It seems on the cold end of ale fermentation, but according to the manufacturer, you're spot on. Plus that should keep undesirable esters and phenols to a minimum. http://whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp004.html

As you probably know, WLP004 is White Lab's culture of the Guinness strain. Which particular Wyeast # did you start with?

[louiscowdroy]

Hi, thanks for your reassurrance. I've added a White Labs 'Irish Ale' to it tonight and mixed it in......I'm preying that it'll start to kick in by the morning in my Temp Contolled Fridge.......keeping it about 19 - 21 degrees. Do you think thats a tad cold?
Louis ))

Nah, stick to your guns. It seems on the cold end of ale fermentation, but according to the manufacturer, you're spot on. Plus that should keep undesirable esters and phenols to a minimum. http://whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp004.html

As you probably know, WLP004 is White Lab's culture of the Guinness strain. Which particular Wyeast # did you start with?

Hi mate,

I tried London ESB (1968) ......do you think i should raise the temp of my friedge by a degree or two?

Louis ))

[louiscowdroy]

Hi, thanks for your reassurrance. I've added a White Labs 'Irish Ale' to it tonight and mixed it in......I'm preying that it'll start to kick in by the morning in my Temp Contolled Fridge.......keeping it about 19 - 21 degrees. Do you think thats a tad cold?
Louis ))

Nah, stick to your guns. It seems on the cold end of ale fermentation, but according to the manufacturer, you're spot on. Plus that should keep undesirable esters and phenols to a minimum. http://whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp004.html

As you probably know, WLP004 is White Lab's culture of the Guinness strain. Which particular Wyeast # did you start with?

Hi mate,

I tried London ESB (1968) ......do you think i should raise the temp of my friedge by a degree or two?

Louis ))

My fridge is the reason ....... I just checked the temp inside the FV and its 16/17 degrees!!!!!.......not 21 as what the sensor was suggesting....nightmare...

So i have now brought it back indoors and placed band around it to warm it up and roused the wort hoping that will bring the stunned Yeast back into life???

Do you think it (The Beer) will be ok, its only 30 hours old?

Louis ))

[seymour]

...Do you think it (The Beer) will be ok, its only 30 hours old?...

Do I think your beer will be ok? Ok?! A nice long, slow, cool fermentation using dual Fullers & Guinness strains? An accidental early delay which hopefully added the slightest sour-mash tang and fruity ale yeast stress esters? A later clean yeast boost and temperature rise which should reduce some unwanted diacetyl? A brewer who obsessed and finessed over it's creation on an hourly basis?

Are you kidding? I'd buy a growler of this dream beer on my way home tonight!

[louiscowdroy]

Oh mate,

Thank you. You've cheered me up no end......and guess what.....its going like the clappers now and has a massive lovely crust on it and it smells devine!!!

I couldnt be happier............i want you to have some.....send me a personal message with your address and i'll send you a sample......Plastic Coppers bottle mind....for transit purposes.

Thank you once again

Louis ))

[seymour]

Sounds good to me!